Can Republican Travis Allen become California’s next governor?

Travis Allen, an intelligent, truly conservative happy warrior has what it takes to put a Republican in the California governor’s office.

I attended a luncheon today at which Travis Allen spoke. He is running for California governor.

I’ve been to many luncheons over the years at which Republican men and women have spoken, all of them seeking some sort of elected office in California. Some were good, and I wrote about their efforts, some were bad, and I didn’t want to embarrass them by writing about them at my blog. However, I didn’t think any of them could actually win in California, a state that, until a few months ago, had a Democrat super-majority in the State Assembly.

Having seen Travis Allen in action, though, I think he might be that rare, true Republican who can win over California. He’s certainly coming along at a propitious time — although things that would normally drive out a government that’s held power for 39 years, here in California might not get the traction one expects. Let me explain.

It’s propitious that Trump’s conservativism, which has done great things for the economy and which appeals to core American values, is winning fans, especially among the all-important Independents. But of course, this is California and even the so-called Independents are Leftists and the media drumbeat is taken for truth, not noise.

It’s propitious that the #MeToo movement has hit Sacramento and Democrats are holding their breath that the other shoe won’t drop, exposing just how sexist and debauched unrestrained Leftism can be. But of course, this is California and we know that Democrat disdain for behavior ranging from merely sexist to actual sexual assault vanishes when Leftist values such as abortion, open borders, and gun control are on the line. A party that can forgive Teddy Kennedy for manslaughter can forgive anything.

It’s propitious that Jerry Brown’s unilaterally-imposed gas tax (12 cents per gallon) has been in effect for several months, and we can see how it raises consumer prices, not to mention the terrible regressive toll it takes on poor people. But of course, this is California and the monied interests are so invested in the imagined horrors of anthropogenic climate change that they’re willing to see poor people suffer from “energy poverty” if it will drive gasoline-powered cars off the road.

It’s propitious that Covered California, the state’s answer to Obamacare has not, in fact, covered California. Instead, especially in rural areas, it’s left many people without their own doctors or even access to medical care. But of course this is California, so it’s no surprise at all to see that political and special interest groups still view socialized medicine as the Holy Grail of politics, which should be advanced at all costs.

It’s propitious (and tragic) that illegal aliens murder people, drive up the state’s poverty rate, and impose welfare burdens on an already financially insecure state. But of course, this is California and it’s racist and unfair to Latin Americans to leave them trapped in their hellhole countries (never mind that there may be cultural and political problems that should be addressed in those countries first, rather than importing them into ours).

It’s propitious that Gavin Newsom is dumb as a rock, rode the Getty coattails to political prominence, and is to the Left of Jerry Brown. But of course, this is California and this pretty-boy Silicon Valley populist, one who sings sweet songs to socialist tech billionaires, is still the odds-on favorite to win.

So, again, while Travis Allen’s timing is propitious, can he overcome the insanity that keeps driving this state further and further to the Left, in the direction of a tall cliff beyond which there is no visible bottom?

Again, I think he can.

Why?

Because Travis Allen has a few things in his favor, really important things:

Travis Allen is a committed conservative. Too many conservative candidates in California have been old-fashioned, go-along-to-get-along GOP conservatives, always willing to compromise big principles for small, usually meaningless, “conservative” concessions. Weak people don’t make strong candidates or policies. Allen, on the other hand, is a true Trump conservative: He’s pro-business, and supports both lower taxes and lower regulations; he’s pro-Second Amendment (and Newsom is fanatically anti-Second Amendment); he’s pro-Life; and he’s anti-Social Justice Warrior insanity. Just check out his voting record. He’s truly conservative and his being a principled candidate is something that should attract voters. He stands for something, rather than just opposing things.

Travis Allen is extremely bright. Life has taught me that much of what we call intelligence is just processing speed. Person A and Person B may arrive at the same conclusion, but if Person A does it more quickly, he’s viewed more intelligent, despite the same outcome. However, there are certain situations in which that processing speed really matters. Rough-and-tumble politics is one of those places. A person with mental agility is going to fare better in candidate debates, floor debates, and press conferences. In a media-driven age, that matters. Allen meets that metric.

Travis Allen is a happy warrior. Even when I was most worried about the 2016 presidential election, I consoled myself by saying “Americans love a happy warrior.” Hillary was angry; Trump enjoyed the fight. He’d fight viciously, but there was always an element of fun in it for him. Reagan was a happy warrior. So was FDR. So was Lincoln.

Allen likes to fight and he loves to win. I don’t think I can emphasize too much how important those qualities are.

Allen’s quick-witted, aggressive-but-not-mean good cheer may help him overcome the biggest hurdle he faces in California, which is the open primary system. I’ve written about the at length here about how undemocratic so-called “open primaries” are but here’s the short version: California no longer has primaries. Instead, it has a general election in June and then the first and second place winners in each category have a run-off in November. Because California is an overwhelmingly Democrat state (helped by government unions, open borders, and billionaire socialists in the Bay Area and Los Angeles), this has meant that, since open primaries became the law, Republicans don’t show up on the November ballot.

Given the realities of the open primary system, it’s unbelievably important that every single conservative California voter turn out for the June primaries. Otherwise, once again, we’ll be shut out of the November election entirely. That would be a tragedy this time around, because Allen’s personality and values give him a real chance if voters can actually see him when they start paying serious attention to politics in November.

Anyway, here are a few videos so you can see Travis Allen in action. You can donate here (and money matters because Newsom’s war chest is bulging) and, if you live in California, please make sure to vote in November.

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Bookworm came late to conservativism but embraced it with passion. She's been blogging since 2004 about anything that captures her fancy -- and that's usually politics. Her blog's motto is "Conservatives deal with facts and reach conclusions; liberals have conclusions and sell them as facts."